August 2012 Archives

The woman accused of killing a motorcyclist while driving the wrong way on Loop 101 was allegedly hopped up on a cocktail of drugs that would make Hunter S. Thompson jealous.

According to authorities, 59-year-old Carol Ann Sacca told police she took morphine, Soma, Doxepin, Trazodone, Protonix, Singulair, Amitza, Lasix, Spironolactone, and Cyproheptadine the night before she struck and killed Scott Benson, AZfamily.com reports. If you don't know what half of those drugs are, you're not alone. Sacca is now facing a second-degree murder charge.

Arizona Diamondbacks announcer and ex-pro baseball player Mark Grace has taken an "indefinite leave of absence to seek personal assistance" after he was arrested on DUI charges last week, Fox 10 News reports.

This is the second DUI offense in 15 months for the former Diamondbacks and Cubs first baseman. On top of that, Grace was allegedly driving on a suspended license and without a court-ordered ignition interlock device. He's now facing aggravated DUI charges.

What's causing Arizona motorists to drive straight into heavily flooded areas? Are they drunk, high, or just impatient?

Apparently it happens frequently enough that state legislators felt compelled to act, Fox News reports. Under section 28-910 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, often referred to as the "Stupid Motorist Law," motorists who become stranded after driving around barricades to enter a flooded area can be charged the cost of his or her rescue.

In March 2010, 49-year-old Michael Jackscht slammed a dump truck into a group of motorcycle riders on the Carefree Highway. Four of the riders died, while five others were injured.

Jakscht argued that he wasn’t impaired at the time of the accident, but that a mechanical failure was responsible for the accident. On Wednesday, a jury though differently, and convicted Jakscht on four counts of manslaughter, five counts of aggravated assault, and several counts of endangerment, AZfamily.com reports.

Police aren’t sure what David Kerhoulas was on when he hit a pedestrian in his truck on Sunday morning, but they know he was on something.

The 32-year-old victim of the accident was hospitalized with serious head injuries, CBS News reports. Kerhoulas was arrested on aggravated assault and endangerment charges. When the toxicology report is ready, Kerhoulas will likely receive DUI charges as well.

The chase ended when the man's Ford Mustang flipped, leaving the suspect in critical condition. While the investigation is still ongoing, police believe that the suspect may have been impaired during the incident.

Many country singers of yore, like Johnny Cash and Townes Van Zandt, had an outlaw image that seems completely absent from the CMT-centric country world of today. Of course much of that mystique came from the two singers' long struggles with substance abuse.

Country singer Randy Travis had quite a few run-ins with the law while growing up in North Carolina, but in recent years he seemed to have put his troubled past behind him. Over the past decade, Travis has recorded a string of gospel albums. On Wednesday, however, Travis' outlaw side returned with a vengeance. The country star was charged with DWI in Texas after crashing his car and threatening the responding officers, CBS reports.

Yet another parent has been arrested for driving high with a kid in the car. On Thursday, Mesa police arrested a mom who allegedly crashed into a propane tank while driving high with her one-year-old son in the car, The Arizona Republic reports.

Brianne Marie Bird has been charged with aggravated DUI for the incident. The worst part: it was Bird’s second DUI charge in two days.

Drunk drivers aren’t the only ones who can be held liable for DUI accidents. Did you know that victims of drunk driving accidents in Arizona can also sue the bar or restaurant that served alcohol to the driver?

Two west Valley bars are learning that lesson the hard way. Calico Jacks in Glendale and Taps in Good Year have agreed to pay out a total of $1 million after a man who was drinking at the bars caused an accident that left Alisha Trejo dead, ABC News reports. Adrian Guzman, a former Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office detention officer, is currently serving time for the crime.

Drunk drivers are already dangerous enough, without throwing guns into the mix as well. On Friday night, a Mesa driver was arrested after he allegedly pointed a gun at another driver while driving drunk, The Arizona Republic reports.

Road rage apparently got the best of 21-year-old Christopher McKee-Roblee. He's been charged with aggravated assault and aggravated DUI for the incident.

About The Phoenix DUI Law Blog

The Phoenix DUI Blog takes a closer look at drunk driving cases, new developments in the law, and the harsh DUI penalties of Arizona. Citizens of the Grand Canyon state can learn about DUI issues, state specific information about drunk driving from this blog and learn how to contact a Phoenix DUI attorney. Have a comment or tip? Write to us.